Alice:But I don't want to go among mad people. Cheshire Cat:Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad. Alice:How do you know I'm mad? Cheshire Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.
It's time for a little madness in the Computer Lab. Madness? Yes, madness because you will be creating something but you will NOT be graded on what you create. Really, you won't be! You are going to try something new or pursue something that you've always been interested in and you are free to make mistakes along the way. In fact, you are expected to make mistakes along the way - if you don't, you're not doing it right! You will need to keep track of your missteps, your goof ups, your frustrations, your crash and burn failures and how you overcame them and what you learned from them.
I'm expected to make mistakes or I'm not doing it right? Really? Seriously, why would I want to make mistakes?
Michael Jordan is only one example. Check out more at They Did Not Give Up. This is why you want to make mistakes!
As you go through this process, you will be adding to a page on your Google Site to reflect on your failures and your successes and, most importantly, what you learned along the way. This is what will be graded!
On the first day of March Madness, you will create your March Madness page on your Google Site and talk about which option you picked including a text link to any web applications you will be using, why you picked that one, what you think may be difficult about your option and what you hope to learn from it.
Daily (or as directed), after day one, you will start the day by reflecting on the previous day(s) (so on Tuesday you'll write about the previous Friday and on Friday you'll write about the Tuesday before), you will add to the March Madness page with reflections on what happened as you worked on your chosen option. What did you do? What failed and what did you do about it? What succeeded?
At the end of March (even if you are not done), you will write a wrap-up reflection on your March Madness page that reflects on the entire process. What did you like about learning this way? What didn't you like? Did anything surprise you along the way? Talk about it. You may also share what you actually made, if you wish. You don't have to but if you succeeded, brag about it and show it off!
Here's where the madness starts! Pick one of the options below, write your first day post on your Google Site and get started.
Pick the option you like best or suggest your own
Some things you might need to know
Option 1: Learn Some Coding
Learn how to program in Javascript at Codecademy. How far can you get?
As you progress remember the Japanese proverb "Fall down seven times, get up eight." Make sure you get up one more time than you fall down!
Should I create an account? If you are at least 13, yes create an account using your St. Martin's email, id & password. If you are not 13, just go through the lessons & projects and keep track yourself of where you are.
Take a screenshot of the medals that you earned and crop and save it in Paint and then share the image on your March Madness page.
Write some Javascript to add to your March Madness page to show off what you learned.
Option 2: Build A 3d Model
Find St. Martin's in Google Maps and measure the 2-story building using the Distance Measuring Tool found in Maps Labs. Get a good look at the school in Street View and ask to go out to look at it so you can figure out where doors, windows, lockers, etc. are located. Once you know the measurements and have a good idea of where doors, windows, etc. are, go build a scale model in Google SketchUp which is installed on your computer and available on your desktop.
Keep these words from novelist & playwright Samuel Beckett in mind: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Can you fail spectacularly?
Add your model to the Google 3D Warehouse and share the link. See me about how to do this.
Take a screenshot of your model, crop and save it in Paint and share the image.
Option 3: Teach Someone Something
Teach someone something using the screen casting tool, screenr or using screen captures (try zooming in to capture the portion of the screen you are talking about) and voice over in Movie Maker or Photo Story (only installed on some computers in the lab).
Create a tutorial showing someone how to set up a document using MLA Formatting including the Last Name & Page number in the heading and setting up a Works Cited page with at least one example for a book and a website.
Create a tutorial showing how to create MLA Works Cited entries for a book, a website, a web page and a picture using Son of Citation Machine and/or EasyBib. This tutorial should include explanations about what is included in each citation.
Create a tutorial (or tutorials - you may need one for each section of the privacy options) showing someone how to set their privacy settings in Facebook to be as safe as possible. This should explain what each setting does and what the safest option for each is and what would realistically be the safest that students your age would probably use. You should also include what you might lose if you chose the safest setting - for example, if you don't let anyone but friends look you up by name or contact information, how would anyone find you to add you as a friend? If recording a screencast, this must start when you are on the Privacy Settings page so as to not show any personal information about yourself or others.
NOTE: THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM ME TO DO THIS ONE. Do not even ask about doing this one if you have had behavior issues in Computer class.
Suggest another topic for a tutorial. Since you can use pictures this could be a tutorial about almost anything.
Keep this quote by Henry Ford in mind - "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Begin again and again and again if necessary.
Screenr:
If you are not 13 yet, you can not use Screenr. If you are at least 13, log in to your Google Docs account and then go to Screenr and click on the Google login and set up your account.
(you can skip the 1st 45 seconds which is about how to download this product)
What can you share for this option?
Embed your screenr screencast on your March Madness page.
Upload your final movie to the Computer Lab YouTube Channel and embed this in your March Madness page. NOTE: I will need to log you in for this one. I will not be helping you to upload, just logging you in.
Option 4: Re-build a computer. You will be identifying the parts inside the computer and actually putting one of the old lab computers back together to see if you can get it to run again.
You will also be teaching people about the parts of the computer by creating a tutorial such as the ones you watched under Learn What's Inside the Computer OR by creating a narrated slideshow of the parts using pictures that you take of the parts and the inside of the computer describing what the parts are and where they go. See Movie Maker information for Teach Someone Something for information on creating a narrated slide show or use PowerPoint and the Insert/Sound option to record there.
We only have a few computers that can be used for this so we may need to hold a lottery to see who actually gets to do this task.
Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." How many have you found?
Upload your tutorial or narrated slide show to the Computer Lab YouTube Channel and embed this in your March Madness page. NOTE: I will need to log you in for this one.
If you used PowerPoint for your slideshow, upload to Slideboom and embed this in your March Madness page. NOTE: I will need to log you in for this one. I will not be helping you to upload, just logging you in.
Option 5: Create a game in Scratch Check out some sample games made with Scratch and then try to create your own! Scratch is installed on your computer and available on your desktop.
These words from Rev. Robert Schuller are good to keep in mind: "Failure doesn't mean you are a failure... it just means you haven't succeeded yet. How many failures will you have before you achieve success!
Upload your finished game to the StM Computer Lab Gallery. NOTE: You will need to see me to get you logged in for this. I will be logging you in but not helping you to upload!
Then share a link to your project on your March Madness page.
Option 6: Suggest Something Do you have an idea about something you would like to learn? Talk to me about it and as long as it is challenging and something NEW to you and something where there's a good possibility that you will make mistakes along the way, it will probably be approved.
March Madness: Embrace Failure!
Cheshire Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
Cheshire Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.
I'm expected to make mistakes or I'm not doing it right? Really? Seriously, why would I want to make mistakes?
Michael Jordan is only one example. Check out more at They Did Not Give Up. This is why you want to make mistakes!
As you go through this process, you will be adding to a page on your Google Site to reflect on your failures and your successes and, most importantly, what you learned along the way. This is what will be graded!
Here's where the madness starts! Pick one of the options below, write your first day post on your Google Site and get started.
Option 1: Learn Some Coding
Learn how to program in Javascript at Codecademy. How far can you get?As you progress remember the Japanese proverb "Fall down seven times, get up eight." Make sure you get up one more time than you fall down!
What can you share for this option?
Option 2: Build A 3d Model
Find St. Martin's in Google Maps and measure the 2-story building using the Distance Measuring Tool found in Maps Labs. Get a good look at the school in Street View and ask to go out to look at it so you can figure out where doors, windows, lockers, etc. are located. Once you know the measurements and have a good idea of where doors, windows, etc. are, go build a scale model in Google SketchUp which is installed on your computer and available on your desktop.Keep these words from novelist & playwright Samuel Beckett in mind: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Can you fail spectacularly?
You can download Google SketchUp at home, too!
What can you share for this option?
Option 3: Teach Someone Something
Teach someone something using the screen casting tool, screenr or using screen captures (try zooming in to capture the portion of the screen you are talking about) and voice over in Movie Maker or Photo Story (only installed on some computers in the lab).NOTE: THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM ME TO DO THIS ONE. Do not even ask about doing this one if you have had behavior issues in Computer class.
Keep this quote by Henry Ford in mind - "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Begin again and again and again if necessary.
Movie Maker:
Photo Story:
What can you share for this option?
You will be identifying the parts inside the computer and actually putting one of the old lab computers back together to see if you can get it to run again.
You will also be teaching people about the parts of the computer by creating a tutorial such as the ones you watched under Learn What's Inside the Computer OR by creating a narrated slideshow of the parts using pictures that you take of the parts and the inside of the computer describing what the parts are and where they go. See Movie Maker information for Teach Someone Something for information on creating a narrated slide show or use PowerPoint and the Insert/Sound option to record there.
We only have a few computers that can be used for this so we may need to hold a lottery to see who actually gets to do this task.
Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." How many have you found?
Learn Even More:
This is a bit dated but fun!
What can you share for this option?
Check out some sample games made with Scratch and then try to create your own! Scratch is installed on your computer and available on your desktop.
These words from Rev. Robert Schuller are good to keep in mind: "Failure doesn't mean you are a failure... it just means you haven't succeeded yet. How many failures will you have before you achieve success!
You can download Scratch at home, too!
What can you share for this option?
Do you have an idea about something you would like to learn? Talk to me about it and as long as it is challenging and something NEW to you and something where there's a good possibility that you will make mistakes along the way, it will probably be approved.